The beauty of working with clay, is that the possibilities are virtually endless. The lump of clay can become anything you want it to be, if you treat it carefully and with respect.
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The “Gap” represents the space between our current reality where we are today, and where we aspire to be. If you’re always looking at where you want to be and think that you’re not there yet, you’ll always feel a sense of desperation, of lack, of not being good enough.
The “Gain”, however, is the space between where you are today and where you’ve started. That is always the most positive space to be.
From that brief description it might sound like you should never have lofty aspirational goals and should always be reminiscing about the past, but that’s not the truth of the message. Yes, look back to appreciate what you’ve accomplished as you are working towards those lofty goals, because where you are today was once a lofty unreachable goal itself.
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If you’re someone who doesn’t think you’re creative and have believed that all your life, how do you know once you’ve “become” creative? Is there some sort of graduation ceremony, where someone bestows a gap and gown on you saying “Now you have earned the title of Creative.”
Nope.
No bells, whistles, gaps, gowns, or flowers.
Being creative is not a distinction that is granted upon you from other people, such as someone who you consider creative saying “yes, now you are creative.”
Being creative is a decision.
It is a mindset.
It is owning the creativity you were born with.
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This verse is a reference to sowing seeds for farming; the hardship of whether the seeds will sprout, what the weather will do, whether insects or disease will blight the crop. There is much to stress and worry about and only so much you can do, so you need to have a lot of faith. But come harvest time, there is joy. Few of us farm these days so we may have lost touch with this Psalm, but it still has relevance.
Like I mentioned above, you could apply the same to quilting or other types of creative activity. When you’re quilting there’s all kinds of areas that things can go wrong:
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How do you like to start your day? A quiet cup of coffee in a favourite chair? A cup of tea while listening to the radio? Sitting silently and just giving your mind, body, and soul a few minutes to wake up and enjoy the morning? Or do you drag yourself out of bed at the alarm, rush to check your phone for the latest news, social media posts, emails, and scramble to get ready for work?
I used to rush and scramble every morning, but since I started a new morning routine in December 2022, I’ve been much more productive and pleasant in the morning — at least on the days I don’t miss the alarm clock.
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What if you can do this new skill? What if you pass the test? What if people don’t even notice if you fail because they are so wrapped up in their own lives (spoiler alert: everyone on the planet except your nearest and dearest are too busy with their own lives to worry if you succeed or fail at something, and your closest companions will always cheer you on and support you.)
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I was in an intense “cat-like state of readiness” no matter what the situation: when sitting at home, when getting ready to go to work, at work (that was the worst, because I had no control over what happened or when), and even when trying to go to sleep. If you’ve ever experienced any kind of anxiety, you’ll understand the feeling. If you haven’t, I’m glad you have been spared that, and pray you are always blessed to never experience it.
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Ever had a moment of doubt or negativity? Like I did when I was nearing the end of my pottery mentorship, had a ton of work, but nothing cohesive enough for our exhibition?
I gathered all the pieces worked on during the time and felt like it was a waste of time
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There is something blissfully peaceful about a cat napping. It's like they've perfected the art of contentment and rest, enjoying the moment, not worrying about the next thing to come. Where do you find moments of peace in your life?
Is it catching a quick nap through a busy day? Or taking a quiet walk in the woods?
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Who loves naps? Do you have a favourite place to curl up for a quick cat nap, like our cat Harry? The piano bench is one of his many napping spots.
Do you feel that too often we neglect our rest? Cats may have the right idea.
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This is a continuation of yesterday’s verse about not worrying about anything, but praying about everything. “God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” Or “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
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Why wouldn’t everything be possible with God? He created the universe and everything in it. Everything from stardust to molecules, to the smallest specs of minuscule particulates to the largest planets and vast galaxies. Why would anything be impossible for him? So, why do we limit what he can do through us?
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Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Fear and discouragement often go together. It is so much easier to be discouraged when we feel afraid. It is so much easier to be afraid when we are discouraged. It’s kind of like bacon and eggs, Laurel and Hardy, peanut butter and jam, or any other pairing here that makes sense to you.
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One of the things I love doing when we drive up north is taking pictures of the Canadian Shield rocks pushing out of the ground. They are SOLID! Seeing something so sturdy reminds me of setting goals.
I never used to set goals, I'd have random wishes like "maybe one day I'll do this..." Then a few years ago I decided to be firm with setting my goals. Three books and a lot of minor goals later, I'd say goal setting works.
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